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Daniel Meyer

Founder & Chairman of the Board of Directors, Shake Shack

Search every verified Daniel Meyer interview, podcast appearance, and on-the-record quote — each transcript cross-checked by AI and human review to confirm speaker identity. Danny Meyer has been promoting his new book, What Could Possibly Go Right? The Essential Journey to Scale an Enduring Culture, released on September 29, 2026, through a series of media appearances. In interviews, he discussed his philosophy that culture is defined by "the number of times we celebrate the behaviors that we expect minus the number of times we tolerate the behaviors we don't want," and described how he stopped using terms like "family" in favor of more precise language about expected behaviors. He also reflected on lessons from closing his restaurant Tabla, which he said taught him that failure can be a valuable teacher, and discussed his view that optimism is an action rather than passive hope. Meyer also addressed industry topics, including tipping, artificial intelligence, and social media. He stated that he eliminated tipping in his restaurants because the system is inequitable, noting that tips cannot be shared with kitchen workers under many state laws. He expressed skepticism about robots in dining rooms, saying he does not know a robot that can empathize with guests, while adding that he uses AI to learn more about his customers. He described social media as "the postcard of our day" for restaurants, though he said he dislikes when diners spend excessive time photographing their food. He also discussed the origins of Shake Shack, which began as a hot dog cart in Madison Square Park, and emphasized his approach of putting employees first, which he calls "enlightened hospitality."

Recent appearances

  • Your Culture Is What You Tolerate, Not What You Celebrate

    October 05, 2026 · 📺 Molly Fletcher

    Danny Meyer has spent four decades building some of the most admired hospitality businesses in America, from Union Square Cafe to Shake Shack. In this clip from Game Changers, he tells Molly Fletcher why he threw out language his company had used proudly for years, including the word family, and what he put in its place. Along the way he shares two definitions of culture that shaped his thinking, one from a former Whole Foods co-CEO and one from a college athletic director who admitted he couldn't define it at all. Then he lands on his own, and explains why the second half of it is where most…

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  • Danny Meyer | Full Episode 10.2.26 | Firing Line with Margaret Hoover | PBS

    October 03, 2026 · 📺 Firing Line with Margaret Hoover | PBS

    Shake Shack founder Danny Meyer dishes on the secret sauce behind his success: putting people before profits. He takes on tipping, AI in restaurants, Anthony Bourdain, and New York City Mayor Mamdani. This program is made possible by viewers like you. Support your local PBS station: www.pbs.org/donate Subscribe to the PBS channel for more clips:     / pbs   Enjoy full episodes of your favorite PBS shows anytime, anywhere with the free PBS Video App: https://to.pbs.org/2QbtzhR Listen to our podcast for extended interviews: Apple: apple.co/3gebsWt Spotify: spoti.fi/3ybJlAU Amazon: bit.ly/3HV…

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  • Shake Shack founder Danny Meyer on how 'OPTIMISM' and learning from failures is key to success

    October 01, 2026 · 📺 MS NOW

    Restaurateur and bestselling author Danny Meyer joins Morning Joe to discuss his new book, ‘What Could Possibly Go Right? The Essential Journey to Scale an Enduring Culture’. In it, the founder of the international billion-dollar chain Shake Shack explains why optimism –even in the face of failure– isn’t naïve, it’s an advantage.    MS NOW: My Source for News, Opinion, and the World. » Subscribe to MS NOW:    / @msnow   Become an MS NOW Member! Join us here http://ms.now/membership MS NOW is the go-to destination for domestic and international breaking news, and best-in-class opinion journ…

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  • This billion-dollar business started as a hot dog cart

    October 01, 2026 · 📺 NY1

    Pat sits down with Danny Meyer, restaurateur and founder of Union Square Hospitality Group, to discuss how he built Shake Shack into a global business, why he sets certain expectations for employees, and which mistakes he's learned the most from as described in his new book, “What Could Possibly Go Right?” 00:00 Intro 01:17 Danny’s routine and Daily Provisions 05:10 The best milkshake in the world? 09:05 Shake Shack’s rejected names 13:26 Company culture and setting expectations 19:44 Controversy over crinkle cut fries 24:16 Bringing hospitality to New York 28:19 Rapid fire round #Spectrum…

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  • Danny Meyer Says Social Media Is Like the New Version of a Postcard for Restaurants

    September 30, 2026 · 📺 Late Night with Seth Meyers

    Danny Meyer talks about founding Shake Shack, people using smartphones in restaurants and his new book What Could Possibly Go Right?: The Essential Journey to Scale an Enduring Culture. Late Night with Seth Meyers. Stream now on Peacock: https://bit.ly/3erP2gX Subscribe to Late Night: http://bit.ly/LateNightSeth Watch Late Night with Seth Meyers Weeknights 12:35ET/11:35c on NBC. Get more Late Night with Seth Meyers: http://www.nbc.com/late-night-with-se... LATE NIGHT ON SOCIAL Follow Late Night on Twitter:   / latenightseth   Like Late Night on Facebook:   / latenightseth   Follow Late…

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  • How Shake Shack Founder Danny Meyer Accidentally Started a Billion-Dollar Empire

    September 30, 2026 · 📺 TODAY

    Most people spend their lives trying to avoid mistakes, but restaurateur Danny Meyer, the visionary behind Shake Shack and Union Square Hospitality Group, believes that failure is actually the greatest teacher we have. In this moving conversation from Making Space with Hoda Kotb, Danny Meyer pulls back the curtain on the hardest moments of his career and what it takes to bounce back when everything falls apart. He and Hoda explore his new memoir, What Could Possibly Go Right?, discussing why putting your employees first, trusting your gut, and asking the right question can completely change yo…

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  • Danny Meyer is 'Not Done' Setting the Table: 20 Years of Mistakes and When to Use AI

    September 29, 2026 · 📺 Not Done with Sloan Dean -- A Podcast

    On today's episode, Sloan interviews Danny Meyer, famed restauranteur and the founder of Union Square Hospitality Group and Shake Shack talk about Danny's new book, What Could Possibly Go Right? Tune into this candid conversation where Danny breaks it down for our audience: 1. You can fail up. In Setting the Table, Danny wrote proudly that he'd never closed a restaurant. Then he closed Tabla after 13 years. What he learned surprised him. Staying open too long meant nobody was getting raises or promotions, and he was "trading on their loyalty." His lesson for every operator: you distinguish yo…

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  • Danny Meyer on Scaling Culture and Betting on the Upside

    September 29, 2026 · 📺 Katie Couric

    The name Danny Meyer is synonymous with the New York City food scene. His restaurants have become Gotham institutions, from Union Square Cafe and Gramercy Tavern to The Modern and, of course, Shake Shack, which started as a small burger stand in Madison Square Park and has since grown into a global chain with more than 700 locations. In this episode of Next Question, I spoke with Danny about his new book, What Could Possibly Go Right? The Essential Journey to Scale an Enduring Culture, and the lessons he’s learned over four decades as a restaurateur. We talked about failure, leadership, the po…

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  • Danny Meyer’s New Rules For Business 20 Years After ‘Setting The Table’

    September 29, 2026 · 📺 Forbes

    Twenty years after his bestseller Setting the Table, legendary restaurateur Danny Meyer (Founder of Shake Shack & Union ...

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  • Shake Shack Founder Danny Meyer Shares Restaurant Journey

    September 29, 2026 · 📺 TODAY Food

    Shake Shack founder Danny Meyer, one of the world’s most influential restauranteurs, sits down with TODAY’s Hoda Kotb to discuss his new book, “What Could Possible Go Right?,” in which he shares his deeply held belief that being optimistic give you an edge in both business and in life.

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  • Danny Meyer

    September 28, 2026 · 📺 Cherry Bombe

    Today’s guest is Danny Meyer, the legendary restaurateur, entrepreneur, investor, and founder of Shake Shack and Union Square Hospitality Group, which includes iconic spots like Gramercy Tavern, Union Square Cafe, Ci Siamo, and Daily Provisions. Danny joins host Kerry Diamond to talk about his new book, “What Could Possibly Go Right?,” out tomorrow, and the lessons he’s learned from decades in the restaurant business. Danny explains why he doesn’t like to give advice, why it’s not a failure to close a restaurant, the first time President Barack Obama visited one of his restaurants, and why In…

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  • Setting the Table Audiobook by Danny Meyer

    September 28, 2026 · 📺 Free Audiobook

    Listen to free audiobook on Audible : https://amzn.to/4hopIfn Title: Setting the Table Author: Danny Meyer Narrator: Danny Meyer Length: 5:37:00 Release date: 10-03-2006 Publisher: HarperAudio Genres: Business & Economics, Biography & Memoir, Arts & Entertainment, Business Development Language: English Description: The bestselling business book from award-winning restauranteur Danny Meyer, of Union Square Cafe, Gramercy Tavern, and Shake Shack Seventy-five percent of all new restaurant ventures fail, and of those that do stick around, only a few become icons. Danny Meyer started Union Squa…

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Verified interview transcripts

Notable quotes

“The problem with it is that we already have a big disparity between what tipped employees make and what kitchen workers make. Kitchen workers are not getting a tax credit because they don't get tips. And so the people that make the most money in restaurants are tipped employees because a tip is a multiplier of ever-increasing menu prices. It's good for them. But the kitchen workers, their hourly wage remains relative”

“I wasn't convinced. It's because I had an amazing leader on our team, a young guy named Randy Gerudi who had been a manager of Tabla, a manager of Union Square Cafe. And he fell in love with Shake Shack. And for three years, he was trying to convince me that there was a space on the Upper West Side. It was the former museum cafe, which used to be very popular. And Randy walked by it every day because he lived near th”

“I've got to really credit what we just spoke about, enlightened hospitality, because so this goes back to 2000 and 2001. We had a hot dog cart in Madison Square Park that was part of a piece of art that we had helped to bring to Madison Square Park for the purpose of bringing people to the park. Why? Why do we do that? Well, we wanted to have art to take care of our community. That was part of enlightened hospitality”

“The experiment, which I began in 2015, was that I was getting really tired of the aspect of the tipping system in America whose laws are different state by state. Believe it or not. Whereby tipped employees would continuously make more money year after year 'cause a tip is just a multiplier of the menu price, which is terrific. They should. Our industry works really, really hard. But in most states, including where o”

“I reject that wholeheartedly because nobody's always right. Maybe my wife is, but outside of that, I think that I learned the hard way. Actually, very soon after becoming a restaurant tour, there was a group of investment bankers out to dinner at Union Square Cafe. And I didn't even know what an investment banker did back then. But there was one guy who waved me over and he said, 'Bring me your best Chardonnay.' So I”

“It just felt. Imagine if you were the coach of a football team and your team is down by 10 points going into halftime and the offense is getting paid three times as much as the defense and you're the coach and you're trying to get everybody equally excited about coming back for the second half. That's what it was like every single day and night with the tipping situation. And I just wanted to take that into our own h”

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